Act now to stop the EU vape tax

The European Commission is holding a public consultation into the taxation of tobacco and vaping products, ending on 3rd September (1). Consumer associations and tobacco harm reduction organizations are issuing an urgent call for mobilization.

Vaping has enabled more than 7.5 million Europeans to stop smoking and helped a further 9 million to reduce their cigarette consumption (2). Sin taxes (excise duties) are not justifiable on consumer products which are not tobacco products and which are far less harmful to health than combustible tobacco.

Any harmonization project should instead look to prohibiting the levy of excise duty on vaping products in the European Union. Vaping products do not contain tobacco and are not combustible. Vaping does not therefore produce smoke, carbon monoxide or tar, and vaping is at least 95% less harmful to health than smoking combustible cigarettes (3). Vaping products are not tobacco products and the users of vaping products should not have to suffer a punitive and unjustified tax.

Taxation on vaping products ultimately protects smoking, as is shown by the effects in the population in countries which have already introduced a taxation: Italy, Portugal, Greece, Estonia and Hungary. The results in these countries show that punitive taxation would undermine the measures introduced by the European Tobacco Directive (TPD), which was designed to protect people’s health (4).

In a recent similar consultation, in 2016, 89.88% of respondents rejected the suggestion of taxing vaping products. That should suffice!

We call on those concerned about public health, those concerned about the right of access to reduced risk products, including for the most disadvantaged, and those who want the right to protect their own health, to respond to the Commission's public consultation on the taxation of tobacco products and vaping. The consultation is available in the various languages. We are accompanying this appeal with an online petition to defend the right of access to tax-free vaping throughout Europe.